Take A Bow
by PepperjackCandy
Summary: DCU/Smallville Crossover. Clark and Lex have a conversation after the "Our Worlds at War" DC Comics storyline of 2001


Title: Take A Bow  
Author: PepperjackCandy  
Series: Standalone story  
Archive : Smallville Slash Archive, my writing at fanfiction.net  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Clark/Lex  
Category: Angst  
Spoilers for: Hourglass  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing Smallville-related, or related in any other way to Clark Kent, Superman or any of the various creations of the wonderful folks at DC Comics. "Take a Bow" was written by Babyface and Madonna.   
  
Feedback: Always welcome, either by e-mail or using the review system at fanfiction.net.  
  
A/N: All right, this one started out as my first honest-to-God songfic. I'm not sure the lyrics still fit, so I left them out, but it originally was intended to follow the lyrics to Madonna's "Take a Bow." It's also a DCU/Smallville Crossover Story. Go figure.   
  
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Most of the reporters, heads of state, and high government officials were long gone before Superman approached Lex for the first time. "What did you invite me here for, Lex?"  
  
"Well, for the photo op, of course. Good PR and everything," Lex responded a little too glibly.  
  
"And how did you know I'd come?"  
  
Lex smiled softly and glanced across the room to where Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen were huddled together, probably discussing the evils of Lex Luthor. "How could you resist? Particularly when I invited Miss Lane and told her that if Superman attended, then of course her husband's attendance wouldn't be required. I figured that would get both of you curious enough to show up."  
  
Clark flinched a little at Lex's emphasis on the word _husband,_ and then his eyes widened. "Lex, you know that . . ."  
  
Lex interrupted, speaking in a voice carefully pitched to carry across the room. "Would you like to come upstairs and see my daughter, Superman?"  
  
Clark nodded in the direction of the doorway and together they walked into the private residence area of the newly-restored White House.  
  
Soon, they were standing in the hallway just outside of Lena's nursery.  
  
"Do you ever think about those days, Clark?"  
  
"How did you know . . .?"  
  
Lex sighed dramatically. "Come off it, Clark. I'd recognize those blue eyes anywhere. A few years and different body language don't fool me at all. As for why I wanted Superman here and not Clark," he raked his eyes up and down Clark's body. "If I can't touch, I might as well be able to look."  
  
Clark looked, wide-eyed, at Lex, his mouth working wordlessly.  
  
"Well, it's the plain truth."   
  
"What's your game, Lex?"  
  
Lex shrugged. "No game. Just the truth. I find myself, late at night, *alone* in my bed, blaming you for the war."  
  
"Me?" Clark snorted. "My dad was right about you . . . ." Then he flinched at what he knew was to come.  
  
But Lex chose to ignore the reference to Jonathan, instead choosing to press forward his previous argument. "Yes, you. Your influence would have kept me on the straight and narrow." He said in the same self-effacing humorous tone he'd used back in Kansas. When they were different people.  
  
And it fell spectacularly flat.   
  
So Lex laid it out for him. Honest and straightforward. "I blew it. I know it. You know it. But with you around, I would've had someone -- someone I *trust* -- there, to help me make the right decisions. You remember Cassandra?"  
  
Clark nodded. She'd been the precog that they'd visited during Clark's freshman year of high school. She'd foreseen Clark's future as Superman.  
  
"Well, I don't know what she saw when she did my reading, but whatever it was killed her. I think she saw . . . this. The war. That me, without you, led to . . . ," he gestured helplessly. "This."  
  
"So it was inside of you all the time, then. The potential for this kind of destruction."  
  
"Believe that if you want, but there was a time, a long time ago, when you would have beaten up anyone who dared suggest that. No, you and I were 'just friends' when Cassandra did my reading. We were less than that when the war happened. I think that when we were . . . together was the only time in my life when I was ever truly *good.* When my life course was taking me *away* from the war."  
  
"And so that makes it my fault?"  
  
"Well, who's to blame for our break-up?"  
  
Clark looked away, staring at the floor beneath his feet. "I had no choice."  
  
"You had a choice. To tell your parents about us or to go your own way. *You* made that choice, Clark, not me."  
  
Clark didn't respond.   
  
"Shows me how much your . . . love is worth." Lex spit out. "I wonder if the lovely Miss Lane knows just how fickle you can be? Oh, wait. You were proud to take *her* home to meet your parents, weren't you?"  
  
Clark winced at the bitterness in Lex's tone. "I'm sorry, Lex. So sorry." He mumbled. "But . . . our flight . . . for Metropolis. It leaves soon. I'm just so sorry."  
  
And with that, Clark once again walked out of Lex's life.   
  
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Before some English teacher comes and beats me up for abruptly switching from "Superman" to "Clark" (you know, like that's a transgression on an order with failing to agree your subject and predicate), I changed at that point intentionally, to reflect that Clark realizes that his "secret" isn't so secret after all. 


End file.
